Trifocal ophthalmic lens blank series



Sept. 11, 1956 I. B. LUECK EI'AL TRIF'OCAL OPHTHALMIC LENS BLANK SERIES Filed Aug. 13, 1953 FIG. 2

FIG. I

DIOPTERS POWER OF NEAR VISION FIELD INVENTORS IRVING B. LUECK BY GORDON L.TAYLOR ATTORNEY FIG. 5

United States Patent @fi 2,762,260 Patented Sept. 11, 1956 TRIFOCAL OPHTHALMIC LENS BLANK SERIES Irving B. Lneck, Perinton, and Gordon L. Taylor, Irondequoit, N. Y., assignors to Bansch & Lomb Optical Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 13, 1953, Serial No. 373,964

2 Claims. (Cl. 88-54) the series of lens blanks will provide a substantially continuous range of clear, comfortable, vision for objects located at distances varying from infinity to the near point.

These and other objects and advantages reside in cer- 5..-tain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

The present application is a continuation-impart of our application Serial No. 207,944, filed January 26, 1951,

a now abandoned.

is v

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of one of the trifocal lens blanks in our improved series.

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a chart showing the relation between the powers of the intermediate and near vision fields for lens blanks in a series embodying one form of our invention.

As previously stated, the amplitude of accommodation decreases as the need for added power for near vision opia, there is usually sufficient accommodation remaining to provide, with the aid of bifocal lenses, clear vision of objects located at various distances from infinity to the near point.

However, when the power of the required reading or near vision portion approaches and exceeds about 1.50 D, a continuous range of clear vision from infinity to the near point cannot be attained with a bifocal lens. As the amplitude of accommodation decreases the need for near vision power increases. -It has been found, for example, that a person requiring 2.00 D for near vision has, on the average, an available binocular accommodation of about 1.50 D. Hence, in order to attain a continuous range of clear vision from infinity to the near point, it is necessary to use an intermediate vision field having a dioptric power which is less than that of the near vision field. For comfortable vision, however, only a portion of the available accommodation should be used.

Under the generally prevailing commercial practice, a manufacturer produces a series of semi-finished trifocal lens blanks in which there is a constant ratio between the additive dioptric power of the intermediate field and the additive dioptric power of the near vision field.

Thus, one manufacturer may sell trifocal lenses in which.

the power of the intermediate field is one-half of the power of the near vision field, regardless of the required dioptric power of the near vision field. The use of a fixed ratio of intermediate power to near vision power for the entire range of near or reading powers does not, however, produce an integrated series of tn'focal lens blanks from which there can be made finished lenses which will provide a continuous range of comfortable, clear, vision of objects located at distances ranging from infinity to the near point.

It is an object of this invention to overcome the aforementioned ditficulties and provide an integrated series of trifocal ophthalmic lens blanks from which may be produced lenses which will afford, throughout an extended range of reading powers, a substantially continuous range of clear, comfortable, vision for objects located at distances varying from infinity to the near point. A further object is to provide a series of semi-finished trifocal lens blanks which will provide lenses having near vision powers ranging from l.504.50 D and with the ratios between the dioptric powers of the intermediate and near vision fields so chosen that each lens produced from increases. The following statistical table shows the average binocular accommodation, to the nearest diopter, which is available when various near vision powers are required.

Near Average Vision Binocular Power, D Accommodation, D

l. 50 2. l2 1. 75 l. 87 2. 00 1. 50 2. 25 1. 12 2.50 0.75 2. 75 0. 50 3. 00 0. 50 3. 25 50 3. 5O 50 3. 75 60 4. 00 50 4. 25 50 4. 50 50 In order that a presbyope may experience comfortable vision and not be subject to eyestrain, it is essential that a portion of the available amplitude of accommodation be held in reserve while the other portion is being used for near vision. It is to be noted from the above table that a presbyope who needs less dioptric power for near vision has a greater amount of available accommodation than one who requires a greater dioptric power for near vision. Hence, in the lower ranges of near vision power,

a person uses a lower percentage of the total available accommodation and in the higher ranges of near vision power a person uses proportionately more of the total available amplitude of accommodation. In order to provide continuous clear vision without blur regions, it

is necessary that the ranges of clear vision through the near and intermediate fields of a trifocal lens be in overlapping relation.

In order to produce an integrated series of trifocal 6Q lenses, having an extended range of near vision powers,

which can be manufactured on a commercial basis, we have provided a series of lens blanks having near and intermediate powers as indicated at F, G and H on the drawing. The entire series comprises three groups of lens blanks represented, respectively, by the lines F, G

and H. Under the prevailing commercial practices, the dioptric powers of the near and intermediate fields are made in graded steps of diop-ter.

In the lower range F, including lens blanks having near vision powers of 1.50-1.75 D, both inclusive, the

intermediate vision power is substantially 35% of the near vision power. For the lens blanks in group G, including-lens bianks having near vision powers of" 2200; 2.75 D, both inclusive, the intermediate vision power is substantially 55 of "the near visionpower and the group H lens blanks, having. near vision powers from 3100 4.50

D, bothginclusivat have intermediate powers amounting to subtantially- 66% of the; near vision powers. This provides an integrated series of trifocal lens blanks from which can be produced lenses which will give continuous, comfortable vision of objects located from near to distance for presbyopes needing neanvision powers from of course, that changes maybe made in the groupings of the lens blanks or'in' the ratios between near and intermediate powers. Some of these changes may, for'eX ample,'be dictated by the availability of glasses of' cer- 'tain refractive indices which'are used for the manufacture'of the lenses. It is essential, however, that the trifocal lens blanks having near vision; powers ranging from 1.504;50; D be. divided into a plurality of groups with each group having a diflerent near totintermediate power ratio and with the smaller ratios used'in the lower ranges of the near vision, powers.

A semi-finished blank. of, our series is shown at as having a front or convex surface 11, which is polished 'and finished, and the embedded fused segments 12 and 13 providing the intermediate and near vision fields, re-

s spectively.

Theprescription optician then grinds and polishes a surface on the rear. or concave side '14 of the blank of such curvature that the finished lens will have the desired lt50 D to 4.50JD, both inclusive. It is to be understood, 7

t frominfinity to the near point,

have provided a series hav' g three separate groups of lens blanks, with each" group employing a difi'rent retro between the near and intermediate powers; This takes into account the difiering amounts of amplitude of binocular accommodation which are available to prebye' opes. requiring near vision-powers from about l.50 D to 4.50 D and provides an, integrated, series of lenses whicliwill? give'ta range of, continuous; comfortable, vision 1 Various. modificationsicani be made; without" departing from the spirit of onr invention as pointed outr in the appended claims, V 1 l tWe claim:

1. An integrated series of t rifooah 'lens blanks, each blank having thezsame curvature on its front convex face, each blank having near, intermediate and distant vision fields, all lens blanks of the series having near vision dioptric powers rangingfrom 1.50 D. to, 4.50

'D, both inclusive, said series comprising a plurality of groups of lens blanks with. the, lens blanks of each group,

having a different range of near vision powers, all, lens blanks of each group having substantially the same. ratio between the intermediate and near vision powers, the.

' ratio for each group being different, the ratio. for a'group dio-ptric powers through the distant,. intermediate and near vision fields. All semi-finishedlens blanks in a series of blanks embodying our invention have the same curvatures on their convex, finished. surfaces. Thus in one series of our blanks, each blank thereof has a front finished surface whose radius of curvature is 93.38 mm. 7 and the series consists of three groups P, G and H having,

' aplurality ofvgroups'with. different ranges of near vision Although all lenses powers for each group and with each group having a different ratio be-tween'the intermediate and'near vision powers and with the smaller ratios for the group'having the lowerrranges ofnear vision powers.

Instead of using asingle ratio between the near and intermediate powers for all lens blanks in the series, we

having the lower ranges of near vision powers belligf:

small'erthanth ratio for a group having the higher range of near vision powers whereby a lensproduced from any of said-blanks will provide continuous, com

fortable; vision for objects located at distances. varying,

from near point to inihli'ty.

2'. A series of trifocal ophthalmic lens blanks. each having "near, intermediate and' distant vision fields; the; lens blanks of the series havingtadditive powers. inthe near visi'on fields ranging from ljO D to. 450. D, both inclusive,each l'e'nsbl'an'kof the series. having the: same 1 curvature" on" itsfront surface, said series. consisting. of three groups of'lenses having additive powers in the near;

vision fields whose ranges are, respectively, 1.50l'.75 D

7 0' 2.00-2i75-D' and 3.004.513 D, the approximaterafiosheitween the additive powers in the intermediate and near vision fields for lens blanks in-each oflsaid. groups being, respectively, 35%, and 66% whereby a lens produced from any of said blanks will provide a range of f continuous, comfortable, vision from infinity toqtl'ienearpoint;

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS t t 1-1111 Sept. 19; 1939 OTHER REFERENCES 7 RX; Lenses, American Optical 00., Catalog published in 1950, pagest 40-45. 

